Our task was to relax on the ocean coast with endless green vegetation, the flight was mandatory by seaplane, because relatives flew and told about unforgettable views, though we didn’t want to fly far, but here it’s only 15 minutes, ideally, and of course we planned to explore underwater life, we need good reef.
We must pay tribute to us, they advised us the ideal option for our tasks, the island is an oasis of greenery, everything is fragrant and envelops with the feeling of a Garden of Eden!
By the way, they gave us a gift and settled for 1 night in a water villa, of course, the sensations are cool, from the window we immediately met the ocean, sunset and dawn, we met very romantic and unusual, and from the villa you can immediately dive into the ocean, great! But we liked it even more on the sand, the sand and greenery is a great addition to the ocean, there have never been people around and we felt like we were on a desert island!
Unfortunately, there were some minuses, on the first night we were bitten by mosquitoes, and only in the morning we remembered that we were warned to take a fumigator with us, but we forgot, we came to the reception and they put protective equipment in our room, maybe not everyone is bitten, so they do it on request
There were also once ants in the bathroom, but they were quickly expelled by the staff, this is where all the minuses end))
I really liked the house reef, snorkeling and diving, the beauty is incredible, but you need to see everything with your own eyes, these colors are forever in our memory, it's good that now you can take pictures and shoot underwater, the shots are excellent.
The hotel will appeal to families with children, the hotel staff is very active with them, there are slides and mini clubs, we were without children.
We took all-inclusive meals, were satisfied, ate and drank from morning until late in the evening, especially seafood, gained 5 kg in 10 days for sure ! ! And not ashamed at all! They even regretted that it didn’t fit anymore)))) I won’t list the food, there’s a lot of everything and cooked with soul, something really was an island, but we tried everything and chose the best for our taste))
Anyone who doubts the hotel would like to advise to buy and not think!
Have a good rest in the Maldives, everyone should visit there at least once in their life!
I must say right away that this hotel was better than the previous one. Undoubted pluses - firstly, a very large territory. There is literally a forest in the middle of the island! That was amazing. Secondly, this hotel on the other side of the island has a wonderful place where a narrow spit cuts into the sea. At dawn, we had an amazing photo shoot there! I won't show pictures, they are personal. It is these photos that are replicated on the Internet, I mean this amazing place. How cool that we rested there and saw it with our own eyes! The hotel had not one restaurant, but several. In general, it is much more pleasant to know that you have a choice. It takes longer to get to this hotel, an hour and a half by boat. But the road is well tolerated.
The rooms were a bit disappointing. Upon entering the room, we were dumbfounded by the pungent smell of some unpleasant, either cheap freshener, or chemical. By the end of the day, this terrible stench was either weathered or sniffed. But after each cleaning had to ventilate. What are they doing here for tourists?
We also took a water villa. The room itself is okay. Not chic, but good. A double bed, a veranda with sunbeds and umbrellas, a machine to make tea and coffee, slippers and even a beach bag. And also a jacuzzi, but we never bathed in it, we disdained it.
There were also plenty of Russians in this hotel, but thanks to the large territory, they somehow managed to disperse everything. I already wrote, there was something to do in the hotel. And sunsets, and musical evenings, and even karaoke. And lots of restaurants. And where to walk. In general, super, have a great rest!! ! I recommend the hotel. This time we liked not only the Maldives, but also the hotel!
Cons: 1. there is no privacy. In any place, even the smallest patch between the trees, there are always a few vacationers. 2. Transfer (seaplane), which must be individual (both on the website and as confirmed by the operator-Tez tour) was waiting from 8 am upon arrival in Male and landed at 13.20! places, waiting for fellow travelers to other islands. On the way, we stopped at another island and landed some of them there. To say how tired we are of waiting and transfers (after a seaplane they land on another island, then on a mini-ferry, then by boat), then this is nothing to say.
3. The declared shuttles that carry tourists around the island are not true. The island is large, 1.5 km will have to be dissected 3-4-5 times a day. Do not call the car from the room. Walks supposedly on schedule with 3 stops in 20 minutes. To the stops go 15 minutes (10 at a pace) And this is only morning and evening. Then all the cars are recharged (because electric cars) The legs buzzed for the first 4 days terribly, as if they were marching in formation on the parade ground : ))
It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the restaurant. This is 3 times a day! It rained for 4 days out of 11. You can just get wet to the skin! My husband's leg hurt, sprained and it became a serious problem of moving around the island! 3. food is average. Fruit MINIMUM! and as a rule such as not to eat them - unripe melons - cut, unripe watermelons, sour guavas, sour exotic fruits that even 1 cannot be swallowed due to immaturity. (in Bali they were sweet in restaurants), juices - like yuppies, coffee - instant nescafe! It's a shame for this level of hotel. There are many meat dishes, but a variety of side dishes, salads, desserts (here they are tasteless, monotonous 3-4 types - such as porridge and the type of old tasteless stale marshmallow), ice cream - almost none. Ice cream was given out for 2 days with a separate waiter in mini-doses and after 10 minutes it was gone.
There are a lot of people everywhere! wherever to go. It is also difficult to take a picture on the spit in solitude, it is always crowded. REGISTERED FOR THE SPA AFTER 5-6 days, because everything was busy!! ! Who came for a week and did not hurry, generally at the spa in flight.
In the pictures of the site, everything is so glossy - it's expensive! but in fact, the service is like in Egypt (if not worse), everything needs to be reminded, called, asked. The furniture is old and shabby.
Compared to the other islands we visited, it loses significantly. Our holiday friends said the same thing that they liked it better on other islands. Solitude, relaxation, amazing service - not for Kuramati. And the prices are much higher.
We will probably go to the Maldives, but we will choose the hotel more carefully. The island is better to choose a small one.
All reviews like "amazing and not discussed" can now be said for sure - custom-made, from the travel agents themselves. And the real reviews of tourists with criticism turned out to be true!
I chose Kuramachi for two reasons. 1. The island is big - my husband and I wanted to move more. 2. Many travel agents recommended as the best, most beautiful, etc.
I hesitated when choosing between Vilu Reef and Kuramathi.
Big island. Beautiful, because well maintained. Many colors.
What are the "buts"?
1. A lot of workers. Some are sweeping, others are remodeling roofs, others are carrying something, etc. etc. Everyone greets and smiles. Accordingly, if we walk across the entire island, about 900 m - from our villa to the spit, then we greet endlessly, especially in the morning, when there are most workers. If one of them did not say hello, I felt better.
2. A swimming lagoon on one side of the island, and on the other, terrible black breakwaters and a shallow shore, basically a poor entrance to the sea. We were on the side of the breakwaters. We had a Superior beach villa with a jacuzzi (I didn’t even look in the jacuzzi). The area around the villas is very nice, but the beach is bad. I had to walk to the spit (900 m - 20-25 minutes walk). It was impossible to go out to swim in the morning. It's a pity - to be near the ocean, and to swim - to walk far. Unpleasant. It's amazing that ordinary beach villas, which are 3 times cheaper than ours, stand on the shores of a beautiful lagoon?...
3. No privacy. We were in the Seychelles, in Labriz (Silute Island) in a beach villa on the ocean and did not see anyone around, because. all roads and paths were behind the villas, and not between the villas and the ocean, as on Kuramachi. I was dissatisfied with Villa 123, which they gave us, but my husband did not agree to change, because. there is some solitude here. But it was not there! The cleaner walked past our porch 30 times back and forth - with dirty towels, mops, etc. It turned out that on the side of our wall is his point where he puts everything. And there are several villas around that he serves, and so he runs endlessly to our villa. And he shuffles his feet loudly and greets, and smiles politely... I decided to change the villa, but when studying other villas, it turned out that there are worse options! If the cleaner’s point is on the side of the fence, then others are generally near the sunbeds! Nightmare! I had to ask Yana to solve this problem. The cleaner no longer made his way through the bushes near our porch, but bypassed our villa from the rear. You could hear him, but you couldn't see him, and you didn't have to say hello so often. Feel better. The guy, by the way, is very good, he cleaned perfectly, he received tips. We parted very warmly. But who came up with such an order of their work ?!
4. Restaurant. A table will be assigned to you, and you must sit at it for the rest of your rest. We got a bad table. I looked at the kitchen, my husband at the cash register. I'm tired of asking for change. So they sat. Although it doesn't sound like it to me. Again. Those who lived in cheaper villas received tables on the ocean with a great view. ?... Who is comfortable with all this? Of course, employees. And I would prefer to choose a table for myself, change the exposure!... I didn’t like it.
Also, the menu. Breakfast is standard. But for lunch and dinner it happened that there were no vegetables or potatoes. Two types of rice, beans, pasta. I don't eat it. If the fish ended up in a tomato, then there were also problems - for example, pork is only "devilish" - i. e. terribly sharp. Or the same chicken. Well, I don't eat lamb. In general, you can describe for a long time, but often I went and did not know what to take. Of course, there is food, but there is no desire to eat it. The mood dropped. I have never experienced this anywhere. And we go several times a year. Yes! There was always fries and meat in boiling fat, but it's unhealthy! It's not McDonald's!
Why did we pay so much money?
The road, by the way, to the restaurant past the technical facility - the stink of diesel fuel is terrible!
5. About the villa. It rained several times. A rope for drying things in the open air. Things "faded". There is nowhere to put them! Hung on lamps!
It would not hurt to put a coffee table next to the sofa. Why a sofa, without a table, it's inconvenient!
6. Dividends for rent only in English. TV channel Russian one - RTR planet. It is impossible to watch, except for rare news releases.
Maybe everything would have seemed nicer if it wasn't worth that kind of money?
7. Spit. This is the highlight of the island. And for us - the beach, where we lay and swam. So, only early in the morning it is quiet there, and then companies of newlyweds come and play ball, for example. They have a right, of course. But the public beach is not associated with the Maldives, their beauty is fading.
I didn’t feel the Maldives and didn’t rest, I wasn’t in paradise, etc. This hotel does not suit me.
When leaving, they sent us a piece of paper with information, where they asked us to fill out a feedback form, but they never gave it to us. Apparently, they are already confident in their irresistibility.
Everyone who goes on vacation chooses a place that would best suit his wishes. The most important criterion when choosing a hotel in the Maldives for me was the size of the island. Kuramathi, by Maldivian standards, is a large island, one and a half kilometers long. Rooms - detached bungalows on the beach. There are grouped, but they are few. And I was only interested in the first option. This was my second condition. There are also water bungalows, but this is not for everyone. Under you, day and night, water splashes. ) Above you all day in good weather, the hot sun. And, despite the fact that there is a shadow under the big roof, it is hotter on the water than on the shore in the shade of palm trees. And the aromas from the island are unlikely to come here. ) Kuramachi is a very green, flowering island. On the first visit, the weather was more cloudy and it rained 4 days out of 11. But what smells were carried in the air after the rain! To be honest, after a couple of days it became a little sad. But we found something to do at this time as well. For gym lovers, there is one available. Especially foreigners complained about him). I just didn’t understand why running on a treadmill in a stuffy indoor room when you have an entire island at your disposal (except in bad weather)). But they tormented themselves in any)... Then the SPA. You are offered different types of massages for which there is a record (so you can not get at the desired time). But, there are two pairs - Finnish and Turkish. Cool off from which you can in one of the two pools with cold and cool water. Everything is miniature, but there is! ) And how nice it is to lie in one of these pools and look at the sky, since there is no roof in the pool area. And if you went in the rain, then it's not scary either. Who cares? You're still all wet. ) And the cool rain on your face? It's just a fairy tale!... And I still don't understand why people don't swim in the rain? I'm not talking about strong winds, waves. But if there is a calm warm rain, calm, why not spend time in the water, among the cheerful bubbles bursting around you? )
. . . The third and main condition for me was the presence of a house reef. And there is one. To enter the snork there are several channels cleared of corals. Their locations are indicated on the signs on the shore. We snorkeled for several hours a day. ))) And every day there was something new. This is again an amateur. But how can one not like swimming in a large aquarium. ) Of course, snorkeling is best in sunny calm weather: the sea is clear and there are many fish. Reef sharks, moray eels, parrot fish, turtle (if you're lucky)... you can't list them all. For snorkeling, I got a thin wetsuit. My husband had a special T-shirt that protects from ultraviolet rays. It fits snugly to the body. An alternative can be a simple T-shirt, preferably with long sleeves, shorts are also better than swimming trunks, and generously grease your ears and legs with sunscreen (and don’t forget about your head if you don’t have it with thick hair))). It's good to have slippers for corals. The fish we came across were completely friendly, but we didn’t feed anyone, and didn’t try to touch either.
Now about the hotel itself. There used to be 3 hotels there. Now they are merged into one. As a rule, you are offered a bungalow in the widest part of the island, the former Village. There is a large cluster of houses and, indeed, it is difficult to retire. If you want complete privacy, then there are other island-hotels with the territory adjacent to them, which is not allowed to enter outsiders. But then you are also deprived of the opportunity to walk along the coast, but only along the paths of the island. In addition, such islands are usually very small in size. You are there if you are ready to spend all the time only on your mini-beach and in a luxurious bungalow.
I return to my impressions of the island. We lived in the Cottage and SPA hotel. Its rooms are located on the northern side of the island, located in one line along the coast. Now these villas are called Deluxe Beach Villas with Jacuzzi. There are few houses. It's easier to get away. Although, if you think that all the bungalows are occupied, then the number of people surrounding you is clearly much less than it should be. )
The wind rose, during our vacation, was on the other, southern side of the island. Surprisingly, when there was a strong wind, and on the southern part of the island there were at least not big, but waves, we had complete calm. about the quality of housing. Yes, the furniture and the houses themselves have already asked for cosmetic repairs. But now these bungalows have undergone a radical change: the shower in the mini-garden has turned into an outdoor jacuzzi, where there is also a place for a sunbed. The area of the bungalows themselves has also been increased. I haven’t been in new ones, but their photos are on the hotel’s website, which speak of changes for the better. ) I liked the beach in this part of the island the most. A reef is located on the south and east side, with all the ensuing consequences. Although in the immediate vicinity of the coast, the beach is cleared of corals. Even along the entire southern coast, breakwaters are lined with dead corals, which also spoils the picture a little.
The third hotel was located on the narrowest part of the island, not far from the lagoon. On the south side in this part of the island the beach is very long and shallow. Again, breakwaters And on the north side, the coast at that time was buried in rough vegetation, which made it difficult to approach the water.
About getting around the island. There are electric cars, but I rarely saw them with people. Once, while walking, I was caught in the rain. I went to the nearest reception and asked to call the car. I was immediately given it and taken to the bungalow. And, by the way, all bungalows and hotels have umbrellas, and under them it is quite possible to spank barefoot through the puddles in rainy weather. On the island, as a rule, go barefoot. Everything is there for it. Only you need to come to the restaurant in shoes. )
About food. The food in our hotel was not bad. I don’t know how it is now, but before you were assigned a table and a waiter. One day was a buffet, the other two menus to choose from. When there was a menu, we asked the waiter what he would advise us. And it was very tasty. The buffet was not very varied, but it suited us. There were days of any national cuisine. The buffet was served outside. Here you can taste something new, not the usual. To do this, you had to take an absentee ticket in your restaurant. Maybe everything has already changed. . . It was surprising that the fish was very poorly represented. As I understand it, if you want to eat plenty of fish, you need to sign up for fishing, catch it, they will cook it for you, then eat it! Fruit was also not very good, it is not clear why? But they made up for it with great desserts. We had breakfast and dinner to feel free during the day. If you wanted to have a bite, we went to the Palm pizzeria, located next to the SPA. Once, instead of dinner, we booked a table at The Reef restaurant, (which must be reported at the main restaurant). The Reef is only open in the evening. They cook seafood there. We ate lobster and charcoal fish. Expensive. But it was delicious. )
There are also other restaurants, but we didn't go. Next to our restaurant is the Havana Club, where you can drink a bottle of good wine. It is usually empty, but we spent several pleasant evenings there. At the same time, the waiter delicately left, and we had a restaurant for two. ) You can smoke a cigar there, and, it seems, there was a hookah.
On our second visit, we were given a romantic dinner. Those who wish can sit right on the beach. We stayed in the restaurant area. Tables were placed far away from people. But pleasant music was heard here and the waiter was more accessible. As for dinner, it was great! We got an unforgettable experience both from the dinner and from the service!
About room service. Cleaned up twice a day. There were enough towels. We left money, but it seems to me that this would not have affected the quality of cleaning if we had not left. The waiter was also thanked, and upon returning home they sent him photographs of him and his friends. )
It is impossible to talk about nature. It is beautiful, especially if you get up in the morning, when dawn has just dawned. When everyone is still sleeping and the cleaners have not yet begun to sweep the flowers that have fallen during the night from the wind. Then the island rises before you in all its glory - with its smells, colors, colors, cries of awakening birds. You can peep how a heron catches a small fish jumping out of the water, fleeing from sharks. To see how the moray eel caught a gaping crab. How sharks walk along the shore, chasing a flock of small prey, how a turtle gnaws something at the bottom, how a heron, sitting on the top of a palm tree, spreading its wings, takes sunbaths, how flying foxes violently share something in their large family...
Everyone travels for different experiences. I got what I wanted from the holiday. I liked it all very much. And I dream of coming back here again. It's just a pity that the developing infrastructure of the hotel is crowding the pristine nature. )
Kuramachi is the tondem of the creation of God and man. Nature plus comfort. Who called this hotel a four is not clear (I already know what 5 is, and what is 4, believe me). The hotel, of course, is 5. The owner really, probably, does not want to transfer it to category 5, so as not to pay more taxes.
In order next:
Flight - definitely take at least premium economy. Strange, but Transaero began to feed deliciously.
Number - the language does not dare to call it just a number - everything is in the form of villas in various modifications. We had a terrace, patio with jacuzzi, sun lounger and outdoor shower. Above all praise - purity, beauty.
Cleaning - 2 times a day (I don’t know why, but this, of course, is more a plus than a minus)
Food - the choice, of course, is not the widest as in Tunisia or the Dominican Republic, but the food is solid 5. Fruit, however, is not enough.
Tours are nothing special. Rasdhoo is a hole worth visiting so that you do not dream about life on the islands at home.
Souvenirs - shocked! Absolutely everything is the same as in the Dominican Republic - the same figurines, cups and even drums (with the difference that it is written on them not the Dominican Republic, but the Maldives! The Chinese have managed everywhere)))!!! . Still bought beautiful glass fish. In general, the best souvenir from the Maldives is your photos!
Swimming - the water is excellent, but as soon as you climb near the shore, sharks swim up right there. Of course, they are more about their business, but swimming is unpleasant.
Spa - if you have money - you should definitely go. I took a course of Thai back massage (if you want to treat your back for real = go to a Dawon therapist! ).
And now useful:
We took the all-inclusive system, however, nowhere was it clearly explained to us what was included in it. So, the system includes
1. breakfast, lunch, dinner - Sw. Table
2. afternoon snack from 15 to 17. (in the snack where you are attached):
3. Coffee, tea, mini-bar in the room - free of charge.
4. All drinks (local alcoholic and non-alcoholic, including water in all bars and restaurants (excluding Ala carte, probably. ) are free of charge.
5. A trip to Rasdhoo and meeting the sunset - free of charge.
6. Equipment for snorkeling - free of charge.
The all-inclusive select system also includes a visit to Ala Carte for free (probably once, check with the Russian-speaking girl at the reception).
Savings to take breakfast and so on and so forth, believe me, no. Water for $ 4.5 is small, but you want to drink all the time, cocktails are on average $ 10 per person, salad, for example, in one and restaurants - $ 15. If you don’t want to endlessly count checks, but don’t think about anything and just relax - take all inclusive and do not deny yourself any food or drink. Everything is calculated - it does not cost more.
In the Maldives, you need to do 2 things - if you are a submariner, dive, if you are not a fan of this business, take pictures. The place, my friends, is, of course, awesome. Go - you won't regret it.